What started as an ordinary summer's day changed Rhiannon Creak's life forever, leaving her with physical and mental scars which are yet to heal.
She was heading to muck out a friend's horses close to her home near Long Stratton on July 6, 2024, when she became aware of a white van following her.
She pulled over on a quiet country lane in the hamlet of Hardwick to let it pass but was stunned when the van also stopped and her former husband, Jonathan Creak - who she had not seen for six years - got out and confronted her.
He slashed her repeatedly with a knife, including across her throat, before leaving her for dead. She survived thanks to the quick actions of a villager, who heard the commotion and went to her aid.
Eighteen months on, she has described her gradual recovery, the steps she has taken to heal - which include beginning a new career as a clinical hypnotherapist - and her hopes that she may help others facing a similar ordeal at the hands of abusive partner or ex.
“The experience I’ve gone through makes me want to help others who have - or might - go through something similar," she says.
“You don’t always realise how dangerous it can be when you’re in it. But there is life, and hope, beyond it.”
A HORRIFYING ATTACK
Her ex-husband, a former Army major who served in Afghanistan, was jailed for 25 years last year after being found guilty of her attempted murder.
The couple had met in 2006, when she was in the Officers' Training Corps as a student at university and he was an instructor for the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers.
They bonded over their shared loved of motorcycles and married in 2008.
They split up in 2018, while living in married quarters at the Apache helicopter base in Wattisham, Suffolk, and divorced in 2022.
At the time of the attack, they were living 150 miles apart.
Rhiannon had settled in the Norwich area and was rebuilding a new life for herself while Jonathan was living with a new partner in Woodstock, Oxfordshire.
The pair had not seen each other since splitting up in 2018 but the settlement of their finances had dragged on.
Jonathan had seethed over the situation, accusing his ex-wife of stalling.
On the morning of July 6, 2024 - the day after issues had flared up in his new relationship - he got in his car and drove from Oxfordshire to Norfolk, where he had secretly tracked down Rhiannon.
He followed her as she drove off in her partner's car on her way to muck out the horses.
In Mill Lane, Hardwick, he accosted her after she had pulled over, accusing her of taking everything from him before pulling a Stanley knife out of his pocket.
She later recalled hearing a metallic click as the blade was extended - something which causes her "horrible flashbacks and terrible nightmares".
Her instinct was to run, but Jonathan - a keen runner - told her he could catch her and quickly did so.
"I have never been a runner, but if I had been I might have been able to get away," she says.
"I ran because it was the only option available to me and I thought that if I could find other people he might not hurt me in front of them."
He then began slashing her with the knife, leaving an eight-inch cut to her neck and a five-inch injury beneath her breast.
Once she got to hospital, she needed a blood transfusion and emergency surgery to her windpipe and neck.
For his part, Jonathan drove off from the scene leaving his ex-wife fighting for her life in the road.
He called his new partner on his way home and told her what he had done.
She alerted police, who arrested him after pulling him over in his car as he drove through Cambridgeshire.
Today, Rhiannon hopes that by telling her story she will raise awareness about the hidden dangers of domestic abuse.
She now recognises that their relationship was mentally and physically abusive, and while the violence was "not frequent" she describes how he would react angrily to "benign incidents".
"The mental abuse - screaming, shouting, gaslighting, breaking things, threatening violence against me, my pets and anyone I cared for - was frequent," she says.
“I suspect he had a very narcissistic personality.
“I didn’t see how dangerous that could be at the time. You get blinded by the cycle — the give and withhold of abuse, followed by something nice. It’s all part of the pattern.
"Small actions would turn into quite aggressive moments and everything just felt very disproportional really."
BREAKING THE CYCLE OF ABUSE
To others living with abuse, she offers a heartfelt message: “Don’t lose yourself. Don’t blame yourself. And please, be safe.”
The 43-year-old was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after the attack, which left her hypervigilant and with crippling insomnia.
She would often go without sleep for days on end before surviving on just two hours of sleep a night when her body had "absolutely no alternative".
“I didn’t think I was safe, especially when it was dark. I couldn’t allow myself to close my eyes and go to sleep,” she says.
“I thought that if I did, something bad would happen and I wouldn’t be alert to danger. I just couldn’t do it.”
Refusing to rely on medication, Rhiannon battled through the sleepless nights without sleeping tablets.
“I didn’t want to be induced into a drug-fuelled sleep which I might not be able to wake up properly from. That was just as scary.
“My body needed rest to heal, but my mind wouldn’t switch off. I felt trapped in a cycle of fear and fatigue.
“Lack of sleep is possibly one of the most debilitating things I’ve ever experienced."
Though her sleep has gradually improved, she admits it still isn’t “100pc”.
Rhiannon says rebuilding her self-belief has been one of the hardest — but most important— parts of her recovery.
“After I left that relationship, I had a complete lack of self-trust and self-confidence.
“Doing things for myself, holding myself accountable, and deciding what I wanted for me - that was probably the most important step in gaining back a little piece of myself.”
Before the attack, Rhiannon was working as a network planner for communications companies, while also training to become a clinical hypnotherapist — a discipline she now credits with helping her recovery.
“It’s such a fascinating field,” she says.
“From the moment it was introduced to me to help with anxiety, I couldn’t believe how effective it was, almost immediately life-changing.
"I couldn’t understand why more people weren’t using it or able to access it.”
GIVING BACK
Through her training, Rhiannon has found not only healing but purpose.
“My way of going about it is to try and make something good from something that was maybe less than ideal.
“That was the moment when I realised how I was going to respond to that incident.”
Now, Rhiannon is channelling her strength into helping others.
"I specialise in helping people following abusive relationships to recover from trauma bonding, gaslighting, lack of self confidence, bad anxiety and the many other effects that a narcissist and/or abusive relationship can have on an individual," she says.
"My personal experience and qualifications make me an approachable and very effective therapist."
She has also been raising funds for charity, including Norfolk and Waveney Mind and Refuge, supporting mental health and victims of domestic abuse.
Her journey, while still ongoing, is one of resilience and renewal.
Now she is sharing what she learned with others and has produced a free, 20-minute sleep-aid audio recording.
She adds: “Sleep isn’t a luxury, it’s essential for recovery, resilience, and everyday life.
“After what I went through, I wanted to create something others could use to feel safe, relaxed, and able to rest again.”
The recording is available to download free of charge at www.thehappyhypnotist.co.uk
Rhiannon hopes it will support anyone experiencing sleepless nights, whether due to stress, anxiety or major life changes.
